Legacies
by K. A. Maples
Summary: With the reformation of the Pack, Wolf must deal with the legacies of his ancestors... and with his own. UPDATED!
1. A gathering of Wolves

Henry Monmouth found himself with a shadow being cast over him. That came as something of a surprise, as he was quiet litterally out in the middle of nowhere. And up until that moment, he had been enjoying the warm morning sun on his body. The Matrix twitched in its place around his wrist, ready to spring to its host's defense if need be. "Hello, Dingo." the source of the shadow said. Sunlight glinted off a long, silvery blonde braid that snaked around behind the source; an unusually tall woman, the voice informed Henry. She wasn't a local. If anything, that accent pegged her as an American.

"I'm sorry, Sheilah, but I don't give autographs." the former memeber of the Pack said, sitting up. Only one of his fans would refer to him by his stage name. He put his hand above his eyes to shade them from the sun, trying to get a better look at his unexpected compainion. She was stunningly beautiful, in that Scandanavian way. Dingo was slightly more fond of petite brunettes, but he certainly wouldn't have objected if this statuesque woman happened to offer.

The woman smiled a smile that struck a familiar cord in Dingo's memory. "You don't remember me at all, do you?" she said with a soft laugh that set her womanly assets moving in new and facinating ways. "Let me refresh your memory. The last time you saw me I was about yeah high..." she held her hand to where her waist was, "and my hair was in pigtails."

"Brunhilde! Brunhilde Olafsen.... my god girl, you've grown." Dingo stood up, brushing the sand off his ass before reaching out to shake the woman's hand, giving her a wide grin. She was easily his height now, if not taller. She'd been naught more than a school girl when he'd last seen her, cheerfully trailing after her big brother...

Dingo's grin faultered a bit. "I suppose you're here looking for Boris." he said softly. "I'm not sure I can offer much help in that respect..."

Brunhilde put a long finger to Dingo's lips, giving him a decidedly preditory grin. "My wayward brother is of no interest to me at the moment." she said. "In fact... I'm more interested in taking his place on the team."

Dingo sighed. He'd been a little afraid of this. Ever since he'd started going out in public again, doing the "super hero shtick" as Fox liked to call it, people had been asking to join his team. He hated having to tell them no... just like he was about to tell this woman. She might have the build of an amazon, but Boris' sister or not, she just wouldn't be able to handle it. "You're puttin' me in a tough spot, girl. I'm not lookin' to reform the Pack."

"But I am." Brunhilde said. "And you can be in on it or not. But I'd like it if you'd be a part of things. Please, Dingo?" She batted a pair of pale blue eyes at him, somehow managing to look like a little girl who was having her puppy taken away from her.

Dingo sighed in defeat, holding up his hands and turning away. "I'll think about it."

Behind him. Brunhilde grinned in triumph. "I've already got a few people in mind for the other positions. We can look over their dossiers tonight, if you want."


	2. Packmates

AN: For the record, two meters is just about 6'6'' tall.

Fox twirled the cord of the telephone between her fingers as she listened to Dingo, smiling ever so slightly. Gripe as he may, Dingo really was most comfortable working in a team. Hell, he was happier when he had someone to share his adventures with. "So... have you told Brunhilde yet?"

On the other end of the phone, and the other side of the world, Dingo let out a long sigh. "No. I mean, how am I supposed to tell th' girl that her beloved big brother's a seven foot tall world man? I don't think she'd believe me even if I told her."

"Lets not forget the bit about being decended from an evil viking that used to inhabit an axe. Owen says he's spotted the spirit around Wolf's cell, so he doesn't seem to be as gone as one would like."

"Ya know, I'm never gonna get used ta you talking about ghosts like they're the most natural thing in the world."

"Says the man bonded to the nanobots." Fox retorted. "So, when do I get to meet the new pack. David wants to see these children too."

"Ehhh..." Fox could hear Dingo shifting from foot to foot. "Ya see... the thing is... Well, the rest of the Pack really ain't too keen on meeting you, an I swear to God Brunhilde.... sorry, I suppose I should be calling her Wolf now... well, she _growls_ ever time someone brings up David's name. Sometimes that girl makes my hair stand on end."

"Are we talking about the same girl who used to follow Wolf around like a lost puppy?"

"That's little girl's a grown woman now. And I mean _grown_. She's two meters tall, easy."

"So, tell me about the rest of your new Pack." Fox said.

Dingo groaned quietly. "Never before have I EVER been involed with a bunch less suited to work as a team than this lot. Individually they're right good, but together they're like potasium an' water. I expect th' new Hyena ta tear Lion's head off any moment now."

"Wait wait wait... Lion?"

"Well... me an' Brunhilde kinda agreed it seemed wrong ta put a new Fox on the team... so we let Evan be Lion. He seemed to like the name better, anyway. But him and Faizah... if they don't kill eachother, _I_ might. And the new Jackle.... I think th' _only_ person he gets on with is Brunhilde, and even then its not like they're the best've mates."

"And how do they get along with you?" Fox asked.

"Weeeell.... individually, everthing's all hunky dorie. Hashim... that's the new Jackle... he don't like Matrix too much, but not many folks do. But get us all together... Fox, its like tryin' ta manage a gaggle of six year olds! If I didn't know we can come together in a fight, I'd've left ages ago."

"That sounds very familiar..." Fox said, a bemused smiled flitting across her face for a moment.

"Now don't you start!"


	3. Meetings

AN: My thanks to Doppleganger for reviewing. I love getting reviews. I'm a bit of a praise whore. ANYway, to answer those questions I can without giving the plot away: The original Wolf will soon be coming into the picture to deal with this new pack (as well as the consequences of his mutation), and the new Pack will be meeting everyones favorit clan of Gargoyles, and one of them WILL fight a member of the new Pack. And that's all I'm saying.

"See reason, Sheilah!" Dingo said, crouching in front of Brunhilde as the helicopter swooped over New York City. "David an' Fox are good people, and they really mean well..."

"I will make you suffer for this, Dingo. You wont know how, and you wont know when, but _I will make you suffer_." the new Wolf growled, and Dingo had no doubt that she meant every word. It was amazing just how threatening a 6'5'' blonde with a warhammer could be. From his seat, Evan chuckled, tossing his honey brown braid over his shoulder. "You shut up, Lion, or you're next."

"Somebody's PMSing..." Hashim whispered to Faizah, who let out a barking laugh much like her namesake.

"Death." Brunhilde growled, her whole body seeming to twitch with her rage. "Deeeeeeeath."

"I think we broke her." Evan said, scooting as far away from the giant woman as he could in the confined space. "Are you sure this is really a good idea, Dingo?"

Dingo sighed. "Lets face it, folks. We're almost outta cash, and the Xanatoses wont fund us unless they get to meet us in person. So, we spend a couple of days in New York, make nice with David and Fox, and then we hightail it back to Oz and get on with our lives."

Brunhilde glowered at Dingo before turning her head away sharply. "Fine." she said, her tone full of ice and anger.

"There's a good lass." Dingo said with a smile, patting her shoulder before sliding away. He slipped into the jump seat of the helicopter with a sigh. He could feel Matrix twitching with the urge to spread out and make the armor, indicating that it felt that Brunhilde just might carry through on her threat. The original armor had long since been consumed by the nanobots, but Dingo didn't really mind.

"We just got clearance from the Aerie building to land." Hyena announced.

"Thank God!"

"Freedom!"

"Oh damn, the psycho bitch tried to bite me!"

Goliath watched the helicopter as it came in for a graceless landing in the courtyard, creating an artifical storm that made his wings rustle. Beside him, Brooklyn shifted from foot to foot, cracking his knuckles. "I'm not too sure about this." he said, his own wings twitching from agitation. "I mean, what do we actually _know_ about these people? We've been duped by the Pack before."

"This is a whole new Pack." Angela pointed out. "The only one coming back is Dingo, and Goliath says he's alright. I think we should give them the benifit of the doubt."

Brooklyn caped his wings with a grumble as the door of the helicopter opened, and Dingo jumped out like a bat fleeing from the deepest pits of hell. He went right to the waiting Fox, who embraced her old teammate warmly. "You look like death warmed over." she said.

"You would too if you had to put up with this lot." Dingo said, jerking his thumb in the direction of his teammates, all in their 'casual' clothes. If one could call surplus army fatigues casual. That had been Dingo's idea, to try and give them some sense of being a part of a team. Faizah, Hashim, and Evan tumbled out in one great pile of arms and legs before quickly scrabling apart. They grabbed their things as they were tossed out of the helicopter with the force of a train. Nobody bother's to collect Dingo's few things.

"Oh. My." Fox murmured as the final member of the Pack finally made her enterance. "Brunhilde?" she said, looking up... and up... and up.

"It's Wolf, these days." the blond said, hefting her warhammer onto her shoulder. There could be no mistaking her for anyone BUT Boris' sister, though she was easily a head taller than her elder brother.

If Brooklyn had hackles, they would have raised at the sight of the of the giant woman with the hammer. Her cold blue eyes swept the crowd, lingering but a few moments on the gargoyles before locking on David Xanatos. Her face twisted in an angry snarl, and she looked as though she were but moments away from using her hammer to crush the industrialist's head like an over ripe melon. Xanatos was very much aware of this look too, and took several steps backwards, his weight on the balls of his feet. Everyone else seemed almost frozen, waiting for either Xanatos or 'Wolf' to make their move.

It was, oddly enough, Hudson who stepped in and diffused the situation. He moved his not inconsiderable bulk between the two, holding out a taloned hand to the woman. His eyes lingered a moment on the bone white pendant she wore, and the strange rune carved upon it. "I greet ye, lass." he said softly. "I am Hudson."

The blond looked Hudson over, then reached out a hand and gripped his forearm in a more traditional warrior's shake. Hudson's talons closed around her own wide forearm, and they raised, then lowered, their arms. "I am Brunhilde." she said before both withdrew their hands. The warhammer continued to rest easily upon her broad shoulders. "It is an honor."

There was a long silence.


	4. The Cage

AN: And now, back by popular demand..... Wolf! Also, a No Prize to the person who guesses what game line I'm crossing this story over with.

Boris Olafsen was not a happy man. Not that he really counted as a man anymore. Not with all that he'd allowed Xanatos to do to him. He looked down at his claw tipped hands, at the dark grey pelt that covered his skin. He could still remember the days when he'd dreamed of being the owner of such a pelt, but now they seemed a lifetime away. That had been before the Pack. Before the gargoyles. Before Xanatos. Before being locked in this damned cage.

He let out a low growl, which the creature in the cell beside him ignored. Fang had long since grown used to the growls of the wolfish mutate that occupied the cell across from him. The winged creature just rolled over with a stretch and a yawn.

Wolf ran his hand through his hair, trying to put the messy white locks into some kind of order. He could hear _them_ talking in their quiet voices, with their little signals. _They_ knew of him, and he knew of _them_. _They_ were the only reason he hadn't tried to escape from the cells of the Labrynth. In the cell, he was safe from them... for now.

He's tried so hard to be like them. It was all he'd ever wanted. It was why he had given his body over to Xanatos. And that was what had condemed him, in the end. He knew that given the chance, they would rip him apart as an abomination.

Wolf closed his eyes. He'd known from the moment he'd woken up with this pelt, in this mockery of a body, that he was damned to die by the hand of his own family.


	5. Past as Prelude

Hudson had known the warhammer of old, though it had come as a chock to see it here and now. He'd thought their kind long dead in this modern world. The lass even looked like the Viking who'd born the hammer in Hudson's day, though she lacked the battle scars.

_Give it time…_ Hudson found himself thinking as he studied the rawboned face. _Their kind gathers scars the way Goliath gathers books._

"I believe a welcome drink is in order." Hudson said, releasing Brunhilde's arm.

"Best idea I've heard all day." The Arab in the group said.

"Amen." Dingo murmured fervently, relaxing… but only a little.

* * *

The new Pack and the gargoyles circled around each other like two packs of wolves that had not yet decided if they were going to fight or not. Lexington had flat out refused to see them (and was currently occupying himself elsewhere), and Goliath and Broadway were out on patrol, leaving Angela and Brooklyn (along with Fox, as David had wisely decided to retreat) to play host. Hudson and Brunhilde had settled themselves in a corner and were talking like old friends.

Fox found herself comparing the new Pack with the old. Not one of these kids could hope to match up to her, of course. Or the rest of the altered Pack, for that matter.

The new Jackal was a swarthy Arab with a nose you could hang a coat on and a far off look in his dark eyes. He was long limbed and had a beard that was tightly wrapped, like one might see on an Ancient Egyptian fresco.

The new Hyena was a stocky woman blue black skin, a South African accent, wild dreadlocks, and ritual scars on her face and arms. She laughed wildly at something the Jackal said, throwing her head back to reveal very sharp looking white teeth. At least she had the right kind of laugh.

The Lion was another African, though his accent spoke of an upper class education abroad. He kept to himself, sniffing with disgust as Hyena laughed.

And there was the new Wolf. She could have been a Valkery with her Nordic features and massive frame. She was the only one to come armed – and with a hammer of all things! An open challenge if ever there was one.

The last time Fox had seen her, she'd been a schoolgirl in pigtails and pleats.

"They make me feel right old sometimes." Dingo sighed.

"You? Old? Never." Fox said with a grin.

* * *

"I thought all yer kind gone from th' world." Hudson said, his eyes going from the bone pendant engraved with the rough half moon symbol to the girl's face.

"Nearly so." She said. "We have no liking for cities, though a rare few choose them for their hunting grounds." She cocked a hand, pointing in a very vague way. "There's a Sept in the Park. I could get you an introduction, if you wish."

"I'm surprised I've not noticed yer kind there. As I recall… yer people were nae exactly… subtle."

"Times have changed. The Weaver and the Wyrm choked the world, and force us to fight from the deepest shadows. But knowing the gargoyles still live gives us all some hope."

"I know the weapon ye carry, lass. I once did battle beside its wielder."

The girl touched the handle of the warhammer gently, a far off look in her eyes, as if she were staring into some great distance. "She remembers you too, warrior." She said, her voice hollow. "It is a sad memory. You battled those who had once been the White Howlers."

"T'was th' only time I e're took th' side of the Vikings o're my friends." Hudson said sadly.

"They were your friends no longer. They were Wyrmspawn in friends' skin." She laid a rough hand over Hudson's own. "You did what had to be done, for your clan's protection."

"I know, lass. I know."


End file.
